Earthquake Reflections-TiGoave Day 2

I'm starting to lose track of the days complicated by the fact that I helped to run the TiGoave clinic for 5 days in a row. The patients changed, the 'foreigners' changed by the day some days, but many of the challenges remained the same.

I did think up a system to help in knowing who waited longer than others. Before breakfast I'd go out and greet those already sitting on the benches. I'd explain that some would been seen before others depending on their complain or age. If you didn't get seen earlier then with time we'd start seeing people based on the number that I'd written on their hand or palm with a Sharpie marker.

Mostly my days consisted of periodically asking the crowd:

• Any one with a smelly wound or swollen arm, leg, hand, foot or extremities.
• Any babies under 1 month? Under 2 months?
• Any people over 90 years of age? Any over 80?
• Any one with a card for a return visit?
• Any one pregnant?

Serious patients came to my attention by family or the local young folks in the scout group. And if truly serious moved to the head of the line.

I would often forget what number I had left off writing on the hands. So soon I took a small roll of tape and would mark what number I wrote. Or if I couldn't find the last person I'd just move up to a number I knew I had not given out yet.

The numbers also helped me to control the grumbling to a low roar. If people continually pushed me to let them get in earlier but didn't met any of the above conditions-they received a warning. But a few continued to push and ended up with a 0 on the end of their number-so a 35 became 350. I don't think I really held to the numbers and made anyone go to the end of the line but it was a lighthearted way to break the tension.

I would also remind folks that they were not obligated to wait but free to go at any time. I would often tell people as well that we didn't have any food, no medications for sleep, or X, Y, or Z. So sorry but if that is what you were waiting for then sorry there really wasn't a reason to wait.

For a while every day new folks arrived from the USA with more supplies. Some stayed a day while others longer. No problem-need a place to work. We found you one. Have a specialty-let me set up a waiting bench and fill it with patients for you. I worked hard to keep every location busy until all the patients had been seen for the day.